Hi-
We are thinking about spending a week on or near Sanibel at the end of July (only time we can get off plus it is cheaper & less crowded).
Can anyone tell me if this is feasible weather wise? I see that it can be 90ish then- we like heat & we'll be by the water so I think we'll be ok but what about sightseeing (such as hiking) in the wildlife areas- would it be too hot?
Also how bad is the rain? Does it rain every day? Is it just short storms?
Thanks for any info!

I surprised DH many years ago for his birthday- last week in July on Marco Island which is near Sanibel. Yep. He was surprised.

It was so hot we didn't enjoy the beach at all. We go on at least one FL beach vacation a year and we usually take long walks and play paddle ball. For the first time ever we rented a beach umbrella and spent the week sitting under it drinking pina coladas. Be prepared for really, really hot humid weather.

When growing up, my father's annual two week vacation was set in stone as mid August, and every year we went to the beach in Florida. I guess we never knew better, but we loved it. Maybe we just never knew any better.

Expect daily or near daily rain showers -- often very heavy with thunder and lightning. But they are brief and followed by spectacular sunsets. Do the cool things off? I never thought so -- they just make it steamier.

You should check with your resort in regards to hurricane damage first. Golf courses / tennis courts / pools may have been damaged and yet to be repaired. Just a word of caution -- also, if they are doing repairs -- you wouldn't want to listen to the pounding of lumber all day.

We went to Sanibel on our 1st & 2nd honeymoon- July both times. It was hot but we're from Louisiana so hot is normal here in the summer. I found that the breeze from the gulf made it better. In fact on the original honeymoon I got really sunburned because I was so absorbed in shelling & the breeze was so good that I didn't feel the heat. We also sat on the room's porch & watched a thunderstorm's light show over the water. It wasn't raining by us but we could see nature's fireworks.

Most everywhere is airconditioned & you can always pop in someplace to cool off. The pace there is so relaxed that there's no need to hurry.

Go & have fun!

Most places will be fixed up from the hurricane, but I agree that you should check to make sure there won't be any construction going on, because that can ruin the peaceful atmosphere you're looking for.

It will be hot and humid. However, you definitely will be able to enjoy the wildlife areas. Just go early in the morning and at dusk - the times you need to go anyway to see the most wildlife. We went kayaking in the mangroves, and I took a guided canoe trip. Both were fantastic.

It does rain every day, in late afternoon or early evening, but it only lasts a short time.

As for hiking, there's a little preserve off Rabbit Road. Go early in the morning to see all the birds, the marsh rabbits, the gators. Plus there's the San-Cap Foundation preserve - they have a look-out tower that is great. And you can't forget Ding Darling.

Have a great time!

I would also recommend that you stay on the gulf if possible. You will get more breezes, plus it's just so nice to be able to walk a few seconds to get to the beach.

We stayed at Forty Fifteen on West Gulf Drive and LOVED it. At the time, it was extremely inexpensive for nice gulf front lodging - $800/week I believe in May. It's a hidden gem, not many know about it. Now that I live in Florida, I feel free to tell others about it. It's not fancy lodging but you get your own little cottage with a full kitchen. They have a nice pool, tennis courts, and free laundry facilities. There's no doubt that this is where we would go again if we were going to Sanibel. The website is www.fortyfifteen.com and I have no connection except as a happy customer.

We went to Sanibel two summers ago, and I doubt if we'll ever go back. As soon as dusk comes (I'm not talking dark, I'm talking a few hours before dark), these little bugs come out and eat you up. They're not mosquitos, they're sand fleas, I guess, or "no seeums," as they called them. We had welts for weeks afterwards. AND, you won't believe me, but I swear it's true: twice, not once, but twice we had to get out of the water (as in ocean, as in Gulf) because there was an alligator, or maybe a crocodile (from the preserve?). It looked like an alligator, though they are supposed to be freshwater. Anyway, it was big, about seven to ten feet. I thought that people were kidding when they first yelled at us to get out of the water, alligator! I ran into the motel to report it, and they weren't very surprised, said there was nothing the coast guard could do, etc. We watched it swim down the coastline, saw it start to come out on the beach, and then go back in. I don't EVER want to swim where I have to worry about sharks AND alligators.